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A 71 year-old retired farmer was accidently drowned in the Sapling creek, near Laggan on 24th March, said Crookwell Coroner, Mr P. Callaghan.
Mr Callaghan said this after investigating the circumstances surrounding the man's death. The deceased was Arthur Cramp, of Sapling Creek.
The deceased's brother, James Cramp, also of Sapling Creek, told the coroner that his brother had left the house about 4 pm to go fishing, then was found later floating in the creek, apparently drowned.
As the deceased was leaving the homestead he said; That shower of rain should have freshened the water the creek, there might be a few fish about. A nephew of the deceased, Bernard James Cramp(25), found the deceased's body about 5 pm, and rang the Crookwell Police. The witness told the Court that his uncle never expressed ant intention of committing suicide and seemed to be happy and contented.
The witness added; When I got the deceased out of the water I saw his hat on the left bank of the creek where grass was pressed down as though someone has rolled or slipped over it into the water.

Senior Constable A.N. Swanson, who inspected the scene of the drowning said close to the waters edge there was some dried grass and tussock on a jutting piece of the bank where there were marks suggesting someone had made attempts to pull themselves up. Dry grass and tussock were disturbed and new earth showing. The deceased's hat was lying at one side of the pressed down grass. Constable Swanson added; It would appear that the deceased had tripped and rolled over to the edge of the bank into the water and then had struggled for a short time trying to get back up on the bank.
The water hole was about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide and appeared to be deep, as the bottom could not be seen from the bank.

Government Medical Officer, Dr M.V. Mutton, told the court he had examined the body of the deceased about 6 pm. on the day of the drowning, and had ascertained that the death had occurred about 2 hours previously.
He said that there were no marks of violence on the body and there was evidence of immersion in water for a few hours
Dr Mutton said the deceased was suffering from chronic kidney and bladder restriction, high blood pressure and heart disease.
I do not consider he would be the type to commit suicide, said Dr Mutton. The deceased was a little childish, mental degeneration to some slight extent was evident in him and he was also slightly hard of hearing.